Yoshitoshi's 'Barometer of Emotions (Seiū kandankei)' 1876-1877

Introduction

The series features well known kabuki actors in diverse roles, the theme of the series being to show them across a wide range of weather/nature conditions.

Like many artists, Yoshitoshi produced kabuki prints early in his career. Most examples of his work in the genre date from the eary to mid 1860s. Yoshitoshi is not known for his actor prints, and this series, dating from the middle of his career, ranks among the best kabuki prints that he produced.

For other examples of his later (and better) kabuki prints, please see the series: 'Modern Actors of the West' (1877) and 'Snow, Moon and Flowers' (1890).

Technical details

• Dates: 1876 - 1877 (1)
• Size: ōban
• Signed: ōju Yoshitoshi hitsu
• Publisher: Ōkura Magobei
• Engravers: Hori Gin

Previous cataloguings

	Roger. S. Keyes, "Courage and Silence: A Study of the Life and
		Color Woodblock Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1839-1892",
		Cinncinnati, 1982

	Eric van den Ing, Robert Schaap, "Beauty and Violence: Japanese
		Prints by Yoshitoshi 1839-1892",
		Havilland, Eindhoven, 1992

where it appears as series #28 (pg. 53, 119).

We use the Keyes numbers to order the prints below.

If you have either i) information about any errors on the page, ii) better images than the ones below, please let us know.

The Prints

If we have a higher-quality image, that image can be viewed by clicking on the "Large Image" link, which gives the size of the image (for the benefit of those on slow links).

Generally the rōmaji does not include names of the actor and the character shown, unless the latter differs from that used in the English column.

Thumbnail	Large image	Number	Date	Title (Kanji)	Title (Rōmaji)	Title	Comments
		#1	1876	月 の 出 坂東 彦三郎 笠原 隼太	Tsuki no shutsu	Moon-rise: Bandō Hikosaburō V as Sasahara Hayata	There is some uncertainty about the translation of the title. Keyes has given it as "Moon in the mountains", but a print below (#3) with a very similar title in kan-ji (differing only in the substitution of the character for 'sun' for that of 'moon') has been translated without the mention of mountains. It is possible that another one of the complex visual puns is at play here; the second kanji, 出, is a double copy of the kanji for 'mountain', 山, so perhaps it can be seen as meaning 'mountains' here.
		#2	1876	泡雪 市川 左團次 おぼう 吉三	Awayuki	Light snow: Ichikawa Sadanji as Obō Kichiza
	345KB	#3	1876	日 の 出 市川 團十郎 鎮西 八郎 為朝	Hi no shutsu	Sun-rise: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX as Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo	There is some uncertainty as to the meaning of 'shutsu' here, as it it is not normally used in an astronomical context; it can be associated with either coming or going, and so might equally well mean 'sun-set'.
	420KB	#4	1876	? 月 坂東 彦三郎 明智 日向守 光秀	? tsuki Akechi Hyūga-no-kami Mitsuhide	Setting moon: Bandō Hikosaburō V as Akechi Mitsuhide
	364KB	#5	10/1876	洪水 阿部 豊後守 中村 芝翫	Kōzui	Flood: Nakamura Shikan III as Abe Bungo-no-kami	There are several members of the Abe family who held the rank of Bungo-no-kami, so it is not certain which one is shown here. It is likely Abe Tadaaki, who in 1631 volunteered to measure the damage caused by a flood of the Sumida River by riding through it on a horse, for which he was rewarded by the addition of 10,000 koku to his fief. In 1691 the Komadome Inari shrine was built in memory of this; the stone beside the shrine was said to be where he made a stop during the damage assessment.
	700KB	#6	10/1876	霧 星影 土右衛門 市川 左團次	Kiri	Mist: Ichikawa Sadanji as Hoshikage Tsuchiemon
	368KB	#7	10/1876	満月 因果 小僧 六之介 尾上 菊五郎	Mangetsu	Full moon: Onoe Kikugorō V as Inga Kozō Roku-no-suke
		#8	10/1876	地震 加藤 主計頭 清正 市川 團十郎	Jishin Katō Kazue-no-kami Kiyomasa	Earthquake: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX as Katō Kiyomasa
		#9	10/1876	夜露 齋藤 内蔵之介 利三 市川 団十郎	Yotsuyu Saitō Kura-no-suke Toshimitsu (Toshizō)	Evening dew: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX as Saitō Toshimitsu
	359KB	#10	12/1876	嵐 渡邉 源次 綱 中村 芝翫	Arashi Watanabe Genji Tsuna	Storm: Nakamura Shikan III as Watanabe no Tsuna
		#11	12/1876	怪風 鴉飼 勘作 尾上 菊五郎	Kaifū Akai Kansaku	Strange wind: Onoe Kikugorō V as the ghost of the fisherman Kansaku	There are a number of instances of wordplay in this title: First, the title wind name is a pun on 'kaifū', 'sea breeze' (海風). Second, he is normally described as a cormorant fisher ('ukai', 鵜飼); the very similar character used in the title means 'crow' or 'raven'.
		#12	12/1876	花曇 紅梅丸 澤村 訥舛	Hanagumori	Hazy weather in spring: Sawamura Tosshō II as Kōbaimaru	Another instance of wordplay - the normal meaning of hanagumori is "spring hazy weather", but the first kan-ji can mean 'flower', hence Keyes' translation of the title as 'clouds of cherry blossoms'.
	345KB	#13	03/1877	潮満 青柳 春之助 尾上 菊五郎	Chōman	High tide: Onoe Kikugorō V as Aoyagi Harunosuke	'High tide' is now usually written with the characters in the other order (manchō).
	341KB	#14	03/1877	大雨 邑井長菴 中村 仲藏	Ōame	Heavy rain: Nakamura Nakazō III as Murai Chōan

Acknowledgements